The invention relates to control systems and user interfaces for fluid processing systems, such as blood processing systems and the like.
Today people routinely separate whole blood by centrifugation into its various therapeutic components, such as red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
These and other medical processing devices are often controlled using microprocessors with resident program software. The microprocessors also usually include some type of interface through which the operator views and comprehends information regarding the operation of the fluid processing systems.
As the operational and performance demands upon such fluid processing systems become more complex and sophisticated, the need exists for simplifying the control hierarchy of microprocessor based control systems.
As the operational and performance demands also become more complex and sophisticated, the need exists for straightforward, yet higher interactive user interfaces.
One aspect of the invention addresses the need for simple yet effective control systems. This aspect provides an abstract, xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d interface between the software based applications resident in the controller and the hardware elements of the fluid processing system. High level process software resident in the controller communicates with lower level implementing process software in an instrument manager, instead of communicating directly with hardware elements. In this way, the intermediate instrument manager isolates or xe2x80x9chidesxe2x80x9d all hardware-specific commands from the high left control software. The data flow between the instrument manager and the hardware elements of the system is invisible to the high level software.
The creation of the virtual interface between high level process software and the hardware elements provides considerable flexibility in adding or modifying the process software.
Another aspect of the invention addresses the need for straightforward yet highly interactive user interfaces. This aspect of the invention provides an interface having two distinct viewing regions, called the status region and the working region. Preferably, the two viewing regions are fixed in relative position and unchanging in size on the interface screen. This provides continuity and consistency to the appearance of the interface, even as the functional hardware of the system cycle through different processing modes. The uniformity and consistency of the dual viewing regions of the interface reduce operator confusion and the likelihood of error.
According to the invention, the status region and the working region are each dedicated to different types and levels of information. Nevertheless, the two regions are always displayed simultaneously to provide the operator views of both high level xe2x80x9cbig picturexe2x80x9d information (in the status region) and low level xe2x80x9cdetailedxe2x80x9d information (in the working region).
The two viewing regions also allow the operator to use the interface quickly to find and select among detailed procedures, functions, and options during system operation, or to perform off-line functions, without losing touch with the overall status of the ongoing procedure. The two viewing regions permit the operator to navigate what is in reality a multiple-level menu structure to attend to details on one menu level, without necessarily moving stepwise up and down the menu structure and without losing the ability to, on command, immediately jump between higher and lower menu levels.
The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, the drawings, and the claims.